Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-04-02

the Manitoba branch was built on the east
Idle. After the panic of 1873 things stood still
few years; then came the great Dakota rush,
and now old Pembina county is so thickly
settled that the original French Indian is lost
in the ocean of pure white; and very pure
white this population is-a red or pink white,
but most wonderfully diversified. No one
can tell me which is the prevailing race; but
at Last six species Of Caucasians are seen on
the streets to day: the TALL blonde Swede, the
somewhat paler Norwegian, the stout and
round bodied Icelander, besides Manitoba
British and Scotch, new Canadians and
Americans. OF these the poorest in purse
seem to be the Oldest stock. The Scandina-
VANS are fairly well to do, and the best homes
and outfits are Of the British and Americans.
The latitude is 48 dogs. SO min., so the sun
is pretty low down at noon, and the mercury
often goes 40 dogs. below zero. The coolest
ever reported here was 81 degs. below, and
yet the people are not unhappy. There is
plenty of fun here of its kind. 1t is fun to
lie warm in blankets at midnight and hear
an old house crack like ice on the lakes, and
groan through all her timbers like dumb
creature in agony 1t is fun to breakfast an
hour before daylight and then watch Through
double windows, by the way the coming
SUN casting a blood red light on the vast
stretches of snow and ice. When the air is
still and the sky clear, it is real pleasure to
walk about the town and note how ingeniously
all the details of common life are adjusted to
an unbroken winter; and when there is
blizzard, it is keen enjoyment to stand in the
bright and cheerful room and hear the icy
particles rattle the storm window the outer
&l,a clements
the snow goes flying by-not the damp snow
of our middle ATTITUDES, but a light and
powtery substance like frozen flour.
But man has more enduring interest than
nature. and the farmers delivering produce
in town represent all the styles; the Iceland
ers and Norwegians in coats OF sheepskin,
dogslzin or buffalo; the others IN all Sorts OF
costumes, and, chief in interest, an occasional
old Swede or Russian with block OF Ice IN MS
beard i'm the coolest weather, and his mus
tache standing out in great icicles. In the
hotels the bar is usually in one corner OF the
main sitting room or office, and the hrst
move of these old fellows, who come In
where I am writing, is for four ounces OF
whisky or brandy One would hardly dare
swear there was a mouth behind that mass OF
hair and icicles if he did not witness the per-
fornlance With his right hand the suoJec1
grasps the well filled glass, the other de1-
terously whips aside the lip icicles; there Is
crook of the elbow, allegretto, one turn and
two motions; then one gulp, and the fiery liquor
is shot into the red orifice like scoop OF coal
in, the furnace. There is sort of sobblng
curcle, like the exhaust Of a bath tub: the
oil Fellow, without even wink over his dose,
tur:, to the hot stove, and soon his icicles are
running down over his hairy collar and ne Is
rcG;,v for chat
O the street and in the country are many
novel sights; the sod houses, of which only
the frame is of wood; the bob sleds and fur
Clad drivers; the Icelandic box sleds and
u.aught oxen, and the many queer metnods
of protection against cold. But spring VIII
soon be here, and about the first OF May all
this plain will suddenly burst into rich
green; bush, branch and vine along the
streams will spring all at once into giant me-
i. an almost trc~i al r--nwih viii fo.H"